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And the winner of the FIFA Ballon D’Or 2011 is...

Leo Messi, Xavi Hernández and Cristiano Ronaldo will find out this Monday evening in Zurich which one of them is this year’s FIFA World Footballer of the Year
For the fifth successive year, Barça will have a player on the Ballon D’Or podium

PHOTO: ARCHIVE FCB

Leo Messi, who has won the award for the last two seasons, will find out on Monday if he's made it three in a row to equal the totals of such legendary figures as Cruyff, Platini or Van Basten, though only the Frenchman managed to win three on the run. Club team mate Xavi is in the final three for the third consecutive year and the other finalist is Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

The winner will be announced at the FIFA Gala in the Zurich Kongresshaus, which begins at 19.00 on Monday evening. At the same event the award for the manager of the year will also be made, with Pep Guardiola, Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson in contention, as well as FIFPro World XI.

The Barça party will fly to Switzerland from El Prat at 11.00 on Monday, arriving at 12.45. The pre-Gala press conferences by the three nominated players and managers will begin at 15.00 and the Gala itself is scheduled to begin at 19.00.

Once the ceremony is concluded, the players will speak to the press at about 20.00 and the Club party will catch a 22.15 flight back to Barcelona, where they are due to arrive at midnight.

In good company

Messi and Xavi will be accompanied by their families, as well as the official Club party, headed by President Sandro Rosell and Vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu and including Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta and the players nominated for the FIFPro World XI.

All three finalists in 2010

Last year saw Barça matched Sacchi's famous 90s Milan team by providing all three of the finalists, with Leo Messi taking the prize, Andrés Iniesta coming second and Xavi coming third.